Now that I've discovered that Samurai rim's won't fit a 99+ Tracker, by about 1/8th of an inch -- front tires clip the calipers, and all my tires from the 98 tracker are on Samurai rims, I have a problem.    New rims are $200, and getting all my tires (summer and winter's) moved over to the new rims is another $200 in Kommunist Kanuckistan.    Oh, and to make it all worse, the backspacing on rims that fit is about 4.25 inches, which is going make the 235/75's rub the frame something nasty (compared the 3.75 inches on a Samurai rim, and even at that, they'll rub a bit a full-lock).    Anyway, in an effort to not be out $400 (+ tax) and to avoid frame rubbing, I've looked up these on the internet:

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ItemBrowse/c-10101/s-10101/p-100000222852/mediaCode-ZX/appId-100000222852/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000222852

Anyone have any thoughts about the safety of these for a daily-driver?  It says "not for off-road vehicles", and my truck does see a good bit of off-road use... 

Other options would include -- Dremel'ing a bit off the calipers where they hit the rims (they are so very very close -- an 1/8th of an inch would make er), but dremel'ing on the brake system seemed like a bad idea....

Any other thoughts on how to solve this dilemma?

i have used this style of  spacer on my vw's and a few others, they work well, you just have to make sure that you have a good amount of threads left sticking out for the lug nuts.

-Lance

Sounds good then.  There should be gobs of threads left at only 1/4 inch spacer.    I'll take a tape measure to it to be sure, but I'd guestimate that there's an inch and a half of so or threads currently seeing lug-nut.   Loosing 1/4 inch off of that would be pretty trivial, I'd think.

I have seen these cracked in half on a customers car, probably from overtightening wheels or rust on the hubs/wheels,  the customer was fine with it so, back on the cracked spacer went.  For the record, his wheels are still on as far as I know, he hasn't been back.  About the grinding of the clappers,  we did it to fit late model Chevy Malibu wheels on a mid '90s lumina, it worked fine, it just depends how much metal is there to work with.

"If you are getting this for a 5 lug it doesnt fit the 5-1/2" pattern. But it looks quite sturdy."

  that is according to one of the reviews on the jc whitney site.... thought the description says it will fit....

Quote

"If you are getting this for a 5 lug it doesnt fit the 5-1/2" pattern. But it looks quite sturdy."

  that is according to one of the reviews on the jc whitney site.... thought the description says it will fit....

Yeah, I saw that --- but I also noticed that they have 2 different spacers claiming 5x5.5, and you see the same comments for any of the spacers in that brand.  Don't worry, someone at JCWhitney will take a tape measure to one before I order any (if I order any).

Though, at the moment, based on comments here, over on zuwharrie.com, and from my favorite local mechanic who would be doing the deed, I think we're probably just going to shave the calipers about 1/8th of an inch.   It'll be cheaper, easier, faster than mail-ordering spacers to Kanada, and then I don't ever have to worry about complications that might arise from running wheel spacers.

We'll see though - my mechanic has to look at the calipers in person to see if he thinks it's safe to shave 1/8th of an inch at the spots where it's touching the rims.

I'd say shaving the calipers is fine. I TRIED getting some cragar 357 rims to fit and I ground off more than 1/8" So far so good...the brakes haven't failed, the rims don't fit though.

You already have the spacers.Change the tires over manually dont cost anything dont have to cut anything,Good ole bumper jack, a couple of straight lug wrenches or heavy duty flat head screw drivers, bottle of soap, hammer and an air compressor.  Break em down swap em over the old fashion way. Aint as bad as u think it'll be. Get er done

Change the tires over manually dont cost anything dont have to cut anything,Good ole bumper jack, a couple of straight lug wrenches or heavy duty flat head screw drivers, bottle of soap, hammer and an air compressor.  Break em down swap em over the old fashion way. Aint as bad as u think it'll be. Get er done

LOL... you have obviously never seen me with a wrench in my hand.  I am, shall we say, not all that mechanically inclined.